Windows 7 finally overtakes Windows XP

With millions already playing with the Windows 8developer preview, it’s hard to imagine that this month marks the second anniversary of Windows 7 on retail shelves. Widely considered to be “what Vista should have been,” initial sales of Windows 7 were very strong, and that momentum has continued to this day.

Windows 7’s global operating system market share continued to grow, but Windows XP refused to give up the number one spot on the charts. Windows 7 crept ever closer, and finally this month it has overtaken Windows XP (41% to 40%) as the most widely-used desktop operating system in the world. It’s a major milestone for Windows 7, especially considering Windows XP’s still-strong foothold in corporate environments around the world.

It will be interesting to see just how long it takes Windows 8 to slide past Windows 7 and into the pole position. It’ll have at least one advantage — a whole new segment of Windows devices. With the arrival of lower-cost ARM-powered Windows 8 tablets, sales could be even more rapid than they were with Windows 7 early on.

One thing that could potentially slow Windows 8’s ascent is the improved anti-piracy tech it will include. Microsoft won’t shed any tears if Windows 8 doesn’t rise as quickly because it’s not as easy to pirate, but those who watch stats closely might forget how important non-legit copies of Windows XP and Windows 7 were to their overall share of the market.